Chapter 36

“How very insightful of him,” I reply blandly. Simmering crazily below the surface, trying not to grind my teeth and shake my head to dispel him from it.

“Is this about the past? About what that vile monster did to you? Or did someone else hurt you while you were gone?” Her voice is so wary and gentle that it grinds on my nerves. My past is a topic that I always hate her touching on, hate her even acknowledging. I can’t stand it when she looks at me the way she is doing now, and it reminds me of the kid who came here, so wrapped up in fear and mistrust that I wouldn’t let anyone except Emma and Arry in.

I hate that in all the years, no matter how much I have come out of myself, my parents overcompensate for my past. They have always allowed me to be spoiled, churlish, and stroppy with them in the worst ways. They didn’t even try to rein me in or control me and never thought of lifting a hand or voice to me, even when I was an absolute brat. It’s like they always put ever